Conservatory graduate enjoying diverse career in South Florida

By Jesse Kopp '11, '12, edited by Jeff Adkins '09, '11
Published Tuesday, June 26, 2012 

 

Lynn University graduate Jeff Adkins '09, '11, would be happy to have one job, especially during these economically challenging times when many college grads cannot find any work in their field. Jeff has eight jobs. Yes, that’s right, eight jobs. 

 

Jeff started playing the double bass at ten-years-old in the strings program at Palm Beach Public school under the direction of Andy Matzkow. He went on to attend the Middle School of the Arts, as well as the Andrew W. Dreyfoos High School of the Arts. After high school, Jeff was accepted to the Lynn University Conservatory of Music where he completed both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree in Music Performance. 

 

Jeff is engaged as a double bassist with Florida Grand Opera and Palm Beach Symphony. He also performs with The Short Straw Pickers, a local Americana/bluegrass band that was featured this year at Suwanee Springfest in Liveoak, Fla . He can also be seen with swing/blues trio Route Bleu, which is set to release its first full-length album later this year. As an electric bassist, Jeff works with pop rock artist Jeff Harding, who just opened up for the legendary funk group Tower of Power. 

 

Jeff is also a string consultant at all of the aforementioned Palm Beach County Schools, providing private lessons and section classes to students ranging from beginners all the way up to high school seniors preparing for college auditions. He has many private students and served as the double bass coach for the Youth Orchestra of Palm Beach County for several years. 

 

When asked about his goals, Adkins said, “My goal is to lead a happy, meaningful life supported by a diverse involvement in music. I am always working to improve my personal musicianship in order to attain employment at the highest possible level in a given genre.” He concluded, “I am currently in the ‘plant many seeds’ phase of my career. It'll be exciting to see which area provides the most opportunities for growth.”